By Shari Strong
Becoming a member of The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) not only welcomes you to join a community of over 1.5 million other goal-oriented leaders, but it’s also a great way to boost your career and credentials.
Whether members are looking to break into the job market or move up in their current roles, the NSLS provides the leadership development training needed to succeed throughout one’s career.
Through programs like the Foundations of Leadership, NSLS members have the opportunity to develop in-demand skills that hiring managers are looking for, such as communication, problem solving, conflict resolution, and team building.
These skills—known as soft skills—are role agnostic, meaning they’re utilized across all career levels, job titles, and organizations. In essence, these are the true skills of success that empower long-term personal growth. Unlike hard skills, soft skills will always be in-demand.
Many new reports suggest that these skills are increasingly important. As Rohan Rajiv, Director of Product Management at LinkedIn, told Forbes:
“Foundational soft skills have become even more important given the rise of remote and autonomous work, and are growing in importance across industries, levels, and work environments. In fact, these soft skills were featured in 78 percent of jobs posted globally over the last three months.”
Unlike other leadership development organizations, building these vital skills is at the heart of the NSLS program, which is designed to set members on a path of success that extends far beyond graduation.
It’s a well-known fact that career success is built on relationships. The ability to connect with others, understand their point of view, and have empathy and respect is vital for relationship building.
Successfully building relationships starts with gaining a greater understanding of yourself before you can fully understand others. This is where emotional intelligence—AKA EQ—comes into play.
Emotional intelligence was coined in 1990 by researchers John Mayer and Peter Salovey, but according to Harvard Business Review, it was popularized by psychologist Daniel Goleman, who said:
“The most effective leaders are all alike in one crucial way: They all have a high degree of what has come to be known as emotional intelligence. It’s not that IQ and technical skills are irrelevant. They do matter, but… they are the entry-level requirements for executive positions.”
Emotional intelligence is one of the most important soft skills. By taking special care to develop it, you can truly set yourself apart when it comes to landing a role or moving up in one.
But why? In short, hiring managers and organizations seek out those with high EQs because they are a true value-add to organizations. Individuals with high EQ work better on teams, make better workplace cultures, and perform better overall.
The NSLS develops this skill by empowering members to understand themselves before entering into group environments designed to increase team- and relationship-building skills that are utilized across all careers.
While it can be easy to focus on weaknesses or skill gaps, the NSLS takes a different approach by teaching members how to increase their strengths, manage their weaknesses, and work with others to overcome obstacles.
You may have heard the common phrase “jack of all trades, master of none” used to describe this issue. Though many tend to focus on weaknesses, it’s better to focus on strengths to become an expert in one area rather than average in many.
The NSLS helps members achieve this type of thinking by instilling a growth mindset that empowers continuous improvement. Having a growth mindset means you’re open to change, which leads to developing consistently over the long term.
In other words, those with a strong growth mindset understand that uncertainty and change don’t have to be scary. Instead, these are opportunities to learn new skills and better oneself.
Embracing a growth mindset is one of the best things a person can do for their future success. Employers often look for candidates who demonstrate a growth mindset, which makes the NSLS an ideal fit because developing that mindset is a hallmark of every program we offer.
Joining the NSLS can also give your resume a serious boost because joining on its own shows initiative, a growth mindset, and a willingness to develop skills outside of traditional coursework.
By completing NSLS programs, working with fellow leaders in your chapter, and sharpening important soft skills, the NSLS lays the foundation for long-term success.
Still, the task of entering the workforce straight out of college is daunting. With limited experience, the NSLS can enhance resumes and provide talking points during interviews. The fact that participation in the NSLS is a personal choice is a clear indicator to employers that members take their skills seriously and are willing to improve and evolve.
As you can see, there’s a multitude of ways that the NSLS can help boost your career and set you apart from the competition.
The biggest takeaway is that the NSLS helps you develop key skills that are not taught during traditional college coursework but are extremely important to hiring managers and organizations.
NSLS members also learn how to look within themselves, establish a growth mindset, build relationships, and improve their emotional intelligence. All of these areas are vital for long-term career success and can help smooth out the transition from college to the job market.
Want to learn more? Check out inspirational success stories from NSLS members here.